fletcher



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`MATTI-IEW FLETCHER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND. i

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters `Patent No. 3,833, dated November 18, 1844.

To all Le/wm t may concern l Be it known that I, MATTI-IEW FLETCHER, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain, late of London, England, civilengineer, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements inSteam-Engines; and I, the said MATTHEW FLETCHER, do hereby declare thatthe nature of thesaid improvements and the manner in which they are tobe performed are fully described and ascertained in and by the following`statement thereof, reference being had tothe figures and letters markedthereon-that is to say, these improvements relate to an improvement andimprovementsin rotary steam engines.

Reference being had to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, A, A, (shown inFigs. l, 4, 5, 6) is a bored Cylinder withthe lids B, B, at each end(shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4) these lids are bolted fast to the cylinder.

O, C, is a fan drum (shown in Figs. 4,

i 5, 6) with its shaft D, D, L (shown in Figs. l,

2, 4, 5, 6) which drum turns in the cylinder, but out of the cylinderscenter, and propels the shaft D, D, by means of the fliers or pistons E,E, E, (shown in Figs. 4, 5, G) and consequentlyis the prime mover.

F, F, F, is the steam pipe (shown in Figs.

ll, 2, 5,) where the steam comes through from the boilers to propel thismachine.

G, G, is a casing box or nozzle (shown in Figs. l, 2, 4, 5,) toreverse'the steam.

H, H, is a slide cork (shown in Figs. l, 2, 4, to reverse the enginebyreversing the steam and eduction. This rotary steam engine is workedby admitting the steam into the half round steam pipe I, I, I, at K,(shown in Fig. 5,) and into the cylinder through the three holes L, L,L, where it acts upon the fliers or pistons E, E, E, and

propels them and consequently also the` drum O, O, C, and the rotativeshaft D, D. After propelling the fliers or pistons E, E, E, the steamgets out of the cylinder through the three holes M, M, M, and the beltN, N, N, into theeduction pipe P.

The machine is reversed by admitting the steam at Q, (shown in Fig. 5)into the half round belt steam pipe N, N, N, and through the three holesM, M, M, into the cylinder where it acts upon the fliers or pistons E,E, E, and propels them and consequently the drum O, O, O, and therotative shaft D, in the contrary direction to the above. After actingupon the fliers or pistons E, E,

E, the steam gets out of the cylinder through t-he three holes L, L, L,into the half .round belt steam pipe I, I, I, and the eduction pipe P.

The action of the steam on the fliers or `pistons E, E, E, (shown inFigs. 4, 5, 6) which propels the drum C, C, C, and consequently therotative shaft D and the suction of the condenser on the opposite sideas described above can be readily seen by the drawings. The rotativeshaft being out of the middle the fliers are carried out by the slidesR,`R, R, (shown in Figs. 4, 5,) which slides work in the drum grooves S,S, S, and are kept always on the sides of the cylinder by the rings T,T, which rings are concentric with the cylinders but eccentric with thedrum.

The three pieces of brass U, U, U, to which the slides are fixed at eachend (shown in Figs. 4, 6) are for the purpose of forming a betterbearing for them, than if they rested merely on the rings P, P. `Thepieces of brass U, U, U, the slides R, R, R,

and the fliers or pistons E, E, E, shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6) have smallbits of brass with springs in theirfends to make them steam tight, whichcan be done either in this way or by packingyand it will be seen by thedrawing that the rings'T, T, do not act alone for the purpose `ofcarrying out thefliers E, E, E, but as they are packed behind in thegroove V, V, (shown in Figs. 3, 4,) they become steam tight on theoutside and by this packingthey press against the ends 0f the drum andmake them steam tight there. The fliers or pistons E, E, E, become steamtight on the cylinder by the pressure of steam. The internal part of thebox X, X, (shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4) which is cast on the cylinder lidsacts as a grease cup besides having the grooves V, V, forlpacking andthe hole or bearing for the `rotative shaft- (shown in Figs; 3, 4,) andfor this reason it is packed a little behind at Z,\Z, (shown in Figs. l,2, 4,) to keep the grease from coming out.

In order to reduce the friction in the above machine and thereby causeVa saving in the wear and tear as well as in the loss of power Iconstruct the fliers or pistons on a rather diiferent plan referencebeing had to Figs. 7, 8, 9, (they being three end views).

Although the principle of keeping the fliers or pistons E, E, E, intheir proper position is the same as they are describing the same circlethe axis of which lies in the axis of the cylinder yet it must be seenthat when they are running at great velocity the friction of the fliersagainst the sides of the cylinder must be very considerable. To avoidthis I construct the fliers or pistons on the following plan. Theyhaving` grooves in their end plates and the ring or hoop B, B, B, (shownin Figs. 7, 8,) turned or fitted into these grooves to imite the saidfliers or pist-ons together. This hoop takes the friction from the sidesof the cylinder which is caused by the centrifugal power of the fiiersor pistons trying to fly away from the center, for, with the same poweror velocity that one flier inclines to fly away from the center with thesame power it inclines to draw the opposite fliers or piston with it andthereby causes them instead of pressing against the cylinder to pressagainst the ring or hoop and as the ring or hoop runs around with thefliers or pistons the friction is considerably reduced.

Fig. 8 shows theend plates of the fliers or pistons L, L, L, with thering or hoop B, B, B, turned and fittedinto their end plates to imitethe said fliers or pistons together. Fig. 7, shows the ring o-r hoop B,B, B, with the plates F, F, F, which plates are fixed to the end platesofthe fliers or pistons to keep the ring or hoop in its place.

Instead of making the joint X, (as shown in Fig. 5) to form part oftheflier or pist0n E, and to make it move in and with the slides R, R, R, Icause this joint to be separate from the flier or piston and to remain.at the same distance from the center of drum and let the flier, E,E,'E, work through the middle of that joint instead of making that jointmove with the flier. Y

Fig. 9, shows the fliers or pistons E, E, E,

as they work through the slide joint R, R, R,

which slide joint consists of two half round pieces of iron or metal andwhich are sunk a little into the drum C, C, C, so as to allow them tomove, as theposition ofthe fliers or pistons may require it.

The different principal parts of this improved machine are as follows:Figs. 1, 4, 5,

6, the cylinders A, A; Figs. 1,2, 3, 4, thev cylinders lids B, B; Figs.4, 5, 6, the drum l C, C; Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, the rotative shaft D;Figs. 4, 5, 6, the fliers or pistons E, E, E; Figs. 1, 2, 5, the pipewhere the steam comes through from the boiler F, F; Figs. 1, 2, 4,- 5,the casing box or nozzle G, Gr; Figs. 1, 2, 4', 5, the slide cork, H,I-I; Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, the half round belt steam pipe I, I, and N, N;Fig. 5, the holes to admit the steam into the cylinder L, L, L, and tolet it out again M, M, M, or on the co-ntrary to admit the steam throughthe holes M, M,

M, and let it out again through the holes L, L, L; Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, theeduction pipe P, P; Figs. 4, 5, the slide It, R, R; Fig. 5 the drumgrooves S, S, S; Figs.r 4, 6 the rings T, T; Fig. 4, 6, the pieces ofbrass U U U; Figs. 3, 4, the groove V V; Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, the box X, X;1, 2, 4, the packing at Z, Z; and in Fig. 9 the fliers or pistons E, E,E; and in Fig. 9 the slide joint R, R, R; and in Figs. 7, 8, 9, the drumC, C; and in Figs. 7, 8, 9, the cylinder A, A; and in Figs. 7 8, thering or hoop B, B; and in Fig. 8, the end plates of the Hiers or pistonsL L, L; and in Fig. 7, the

' plates that go onto the end plates offliers or pistons; Figs. 7, and8, the ring around which the fliers or pistons work T, T.

The above described machine can be worked with either high or lowpressure steam or expansively by shutting the steam passages more thanthose for the eduction but I think it would be most advantageous to workit first as a single high pressure engine then let the steam betransmit-ted through the waste steam pipe to another or more machines ofthe same construction. In this way I think it could be used with greatadvantage for steam boats as the rotary engine can be nearly as'long asthe boat is broad and the velocity can be increased to five times thespeed of the cylinder or valve engines. Such an engine 20 feet longpresenting a surface of only 6 inches in depth or 14.40 square inches toa vacuum and working with only low pressure steam would have a power of313 horses. The principle of this machine can also be applied tol pumpsand propellers o-f vesselsv Awith great advantage, with little or noalterations.

Having described the nature of these improvements and the manner ofperforming the same I would have it understood that I do not connemyself to the precise details as described, provided the generalcharacter of either part of these improvements be retained, but

What I claim is- 1. The concentric and eccentric motion in conjunctionwith the jointed fliers or pistons, which cause the said fliers orpistons always to point to the center of cylinder and keep the sameradiusl as the cylinder. The eccentric motion alone would not carry outthe fliers or pistons to form a true circle if not in conjunction withthe principle of jointed fliers.

2. I claim the method of taking the friction from the outside of thefliers or pistons against the sides of the cylinder occasion-ed by thecentrifugal force by means of the ring or hoop which unites the fliersor pistons in manner substantially as described.V

Vienna the 14 of May 1844.

MATTI-IEW FLETCHER. fitnessz CHARLES LOWELL.

